Crate fastener



H. B.]EWELL AND LVL. MINVIELLE.

CRATE FASTEN'ER. APPLlcAloN FILED sEPTLQ's. 1921.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

Patented Get. 10, 1922.

HARRY BERNARD JEWELL AND LEONARD LAURENT MIN VIELLE, OF NW IBERIA,LOUISIANA.

CRATE rAs'rENER.

Application led September 23, 1921. Serial No. 502,780.

To'all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, HARRY BERNAR JEWELL and LEONARD LAURENT MINVIELLE,citizens of the United States, residing at New Iberia, in the parish ofIberia and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Crate Fasteners and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full,'clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

Our invention relates to .improvements in shipping crates, and'it isintendedto provide a crate ofv a knocked-down or semiknocked-down type,which may be conveniently` shipped in compact form and set up in placewhen inuse, and which may be sealed and opened from the .top without anyother injury-to the crate than breaking the seal.

Our invention will be more fully understood after reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similarreference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure l isa perspectivezview of the complete crate, the parts being in theassembled relation and the seal applied, but the contents of the cratebeing omitted.

Figure 2 is an end view of the upper portion of the crate as seen fromthe left of Fig. l, the parts being shown onV a larger scale than insaid figure.

Figure 3 shows a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and looking inthe direction of the arrows.

` Figure 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2, but

. shows the fastening means released and the seal removed,`and with thetop in a slightly raised position and the faste ing rod turned down.

Figure y5 shows a section alongthe line 5--5 of F 4, land looking in thedirection of the arrows; and p. Y

vFigure 6 is a rear View of the upper portion of the top of the crate.

The crate comprises two sides A and A', each made of a series ofwoodenslats a and a hinged by the wires D to the ends of the-woodenslats o and b `comprising the ends B and B Aof lthe crate. If desiredThe bottom E of the crate is preferably formed of aseries of slatsesecured to the braces E', and the ends of the bottom are secured to theends B and B, as by nailing or in any other convenient way.

The top F consists of a plurality of slats f secured together by bracesf, and this top is hinged as at Gr to one end of the crate, such as B.The hinges are preferably mounted below the top as shown in Figs. l and6.

The Vother end of the top, which projects slightly beyond the end of thecrate, is provided with fastening plates H, preferably mounted beneaththe top, as shown in Figs. l to 5. The free ends of these plates arebent downwards and terminate in tongues z., shown most clearly in Figs.3 and 5. These plates H are secured to the top in any convenient way, asby means of the nails L, see Figs. 3 and 5.

The tongues il. engage beneath the loops m of the fastening rod M, whichrod is journaled in the bearing plates N, see Fig. 5. In order to holdthis rod in the normally engaged position, and close against the end ofthe crate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, We provide springs O, one end ofeach of which engages in a loop m formed in the rod M, and the other endengages the bearing plate P secured to the upper part of the end B ofthe crate. l

The fastening rod M is provided at its center with a loop m", which isadapted to swing over the eye bolt Q, which eye bolt is provided withthe eye g through which a wire seal R of suitable type is inserted. Whenthis seal is in place, it will prevent the rod from swinging outwards-and will hold the loops m in engagement with the tongues L, as shown inFigs. l and 2. When the seal is removed, the fastening rod M may beswung back to the position shown in Fig. 4, and the cover may be swungopen as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The rod may beconveniently turned by' providing the handles m2, in theform of loops which may be conveniently grasped by the operator in theoperation of swinging the fastening rod from the position shown in Fig.2 tothat shown in Fig. 4.

lt will be seen that the body portion of the crate may be shipped in theknockeddown condition, and the top and bottom may be put together andthe whole shipped as either one bundle, or two bundles, and when it isdesired to set up same the body portion is swung to the bottom is nailedon, an then the top hinges are secured to the end B', and the crate isready for use. j

Whenl the crate is filled ready for shipment, the top is swung downtothe lowered position; the fastening rod M is swung by hand outward toclear the tongues h, and is then permitted to swing to the positionshown in Fig. 2, under the action ofv the springs O, and the seal isapplied. j

As long as the seal remains in place, the

'crate' cannot be opened without breaking some of the parts; but as soonas the seal is removed 'the fastening rod M may be swungto the releasedposition and the top may be raised or lowered as desired.

While we have shown the invention as applied to a collapsible fruit orvegetable crate, it may be applied to any species of container intendedfor` re-use, having a hinged cover in which locking and sealing meansfor said Cover may be required.I

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in theherein described apparatus, and in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts Iwhich could be used without departing from thespirit of our invention; and we do not mean to limit the invention tosuch details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim andjdesire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is l. The combination with acrate provided with a collapsible body portion, and a bottom securedthereto, of a cover hinged at one end to said body portion, and providedat the other end with a plurality of fasteny ing plates each having atongue projecting below the edge of the cover, a fasteningrod pivoted tosaid body portion below said tongues and provided with loops adapted toswing over and engage said tongues, means for automatically swingingsaid rod to the position forengaging said loops with said tongues, andmeans for locking said rod in the positionfor holding said loops inengagement with said tongues.

2. The combination with avcrate provided I with a body portion, andabottom secured thereto, ofa coverhinged at one end to said body portion,and provided at the other end with a plurality of fastening plates eachproper position, the c having tongues projecting below the edge of thecover, a fastening rod pivoted to said body portion below said tonguesand provided with loops adapted to swing over and engage said tongues,means for automatically swinging said rod to the position for engagingsaid loops with said tongues, and means for locking said rod in theposition for holding said loops in engagement with said tongues, saidlast mentioned means comprising an eye bolt secured to the end of thecrate adjacent said rod, a loop provided in said rod and adapted toswing over said eyebolt when the rod is in the engaging position forfastening the crate, and a' stop passed through saideyebolt and lockingsaid rod against swinging outwards.

3. The combination with a crate provided with a body, of a 4cover hingedat one end to said body portion, and provided at the other end with aplurality offastening plates each having a tongue'projecting below theedge of the cover, a fastening rod pivoted to said body portion belowsaid tongues and provided with loops adapted to swing over and 4engagesaid tongues, coil springs automatically swinging said rod to theposition for engaging said loops with sain tongues, and means forlocking said rod in the position for holding said loops in engagementwith said tongues, said last mentioned means comprising an eye-boltsecured to the end of the crate adjacent said rod, a loop provided insaid rod andadapted to swing over said eye-bolt when the rod is `in theengaging position fori fastening the crate, and a wire seal passedthrough said eye-bolt and locking said rod against swinging outwards. jv

4. The combination with a crate provided with a body portion, and abottom secured thereto, of a cover hinged at one end to said bodyportion, and lprovided at the other end with a plurality of fasteningplates each having av tongue projecting below the edge of the cover, afastening rod'pivoted to said body portion below said tongues andprovided with loops adapted to swing over and engage said tongues, and.also with loops forming handles for turning rod, means for`automaticallyswinging said rod to the position for engaging said loopswith said tongues, and meansV for locking said rod in the position lforholding said loops in engagement with said tongues.

,5. The .combinat'on with a crate provided with abody portion, of acover hinged at one end to said body portion, rand provided at the otherend `with a plurality of fastening plates each having a tongue,projecting below the edgeof the cover, a fastening rod pivoted to saidbody portion below said tongues and` provided with loops adapted to toswing over said eye-bolt When the rod is in the engaging position forfastening the 10 crate7 and a stop passed through said eyebolt andlocking said rod against swinging outwards.

HARRY BERNARD JEWELL. LEONARD LAURENT MINVIELLE.

